a portal

hello

it’s been a moment

may i have this dance?

where did you come from, doubt?

who sowed your seed?

how deep are your roots?

we know you are here for a reason,

but your protection is no longer needed

so, what if you loosened your grip? 

tried something a little different? 

what if you began a practice

of trust?

release

unclench

surrender

— not yet

breathe

tickle the roots

call in confidence

let her bud

see the beauty she becomes

when you let her see the sun

malakai koehler

malakai koehler (she/they/kai) is an earth-loving abolitionist and a black queer creative. her work has been presented in a variety of community publications, including the poem “a portal” in Issue 1 of the Wellspringwords® Literary Anthology, The Descent.... malakai offers musings and pieces at substack.com/@malakaiofmany.

https://substack.com/@malakaiofmany
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